Mosquitoes and Hunters

If you are headed to the woods for a hunting trip an essential item to pack is insect repellent to deter annoying mosquitos, flies and ticks. Many people worry about using insect repellents with DEET because of the possible skin reactions, health risks and because it can melt outdoor gear made from certain plastics. But if you don’t want to get eaten alive, not wearing repellent is not an option. Mosquitoes are known across the world for their itchy “bites.” But mosquitoes are actually the most deadly animal in the world, killing millions and spreading some of the world’s worst diseases, including Zika, Malaria, Yellow Fever, Encephalitis, and Dengue. Zika can be passed from a pregnant woman to her baby. Infection during pregnancy can cause certain birth defects. There is no vaccine or medicine for Zika. West Nile virus has been detected in all lower 48 states, it can cause febrile illness, encephalitis or meningitis. Only female mosquitoes “bite”, using animal blood protein for reproduction. Male Mosquitoes feed solely on plant juices.

Have you ever felt like every mosquito within ten square miles comes buzzing straight for you as soon as you step outside? We are often asked why mosquitoes prefer some humans over others. Well, it all comes down to how good you smell (or bad, depending on your perspective).

Mosquitoes have very acute receptors in their antennae and heads that can detect human scents up to 100 feet away. Scents are one of the primary indicators mosquitoes use to identify their prey. It’s actually only female mosquitoes bite. The females need the protein found in blood to produce their eggs.

Some species have a preference for human blood like the Anopheles gambiae, which can carry and spread Malaria. Other species prefer bird blood, but most of them will accept any blood they can find. And we humans are big, slow and smelly targets that are easy to find.

Here are the top 5 human scents that attract mosquitoes and tips for minimizing your scent to these blood-thirsty pests.

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